If you have been digging in the dirt of your yard lately, you might have come across little curled critters that look like juicy macaroni. These are grubs, and they are the larval stage of different types of beetles. Their sole purpose is to eat, and they will eat through your grass, flowers and other ornamental plantings at the root and stem level. They can cause your lawn to turn brown and die, allowing weeds to take the place of the grass. Here are some tips on how to get rid of the grubs in your lawn.

Use Parasitic Nematodes

Parasitic nematodes are microscopic organisms. They are alive, so you need to carefully time your purchase so that you can apply them to your lawn without delay. They are ideal for heavy grub infestations. A heavy grub infestation is more than 10 grubs per square foot of your lawn. The nematodes will not hurt the grass or any other insects that live in your soil.

Let Them Dehydrate

One way to get rid of grubs without doing much work is by letting them dehydrate. Stop watering your lawn. They need moisture and new plant growth. Although stopping watering might make your grass turn brown for a few weeks, it will get rid of the grub population. Try to do this during a period of naturally dry weather. The hot days of late summer are a good time to let your lawn naturally dry out and allow the grubs to dehydrate and die.

Use Targeted Natural Pesticides

Pyrethrins are a natural pesticide that comes from the chrysanthemum plant. This works best on the adult stage of the beetle. If most of the grubs are in the larval stage, which is in spring to early summer, consider using milky spore. This is a type of bacteria. It is highly effective at getting rid of the Japanese beetle grubs. An advantage of milky spore is that it is effective for an astounding 15 to 20 years, according to Essential Home and Garden. It will not harm the helpful bugs such as ladybugs or bumblebees.

Try Commercial Grub Killers or General Pesticides

If you have tried these natural techniques for reducing the population of grubs in your lawn but you have not achieved the results you had hoped, you might consider commercial grub killers. Some of these are targeted pesticides. Some general pesticides will also work on grubs. The grub killers specifically target the larval stage. The insecticides usually target the adult beetle stage. You will need to know the stage of the majority of the pests in your lawn in order to know if you should get a grub killer or an insecticide. Keep in mind that no single product will get rid of every grub in your lawn, and some pesticides could cause harm to beneficial insects as well as other critters such as earthworms.

Leaving grass clippings on your lawn may have some advantages, but there are several reasons why the clippings should be removed. A grass catcher not only saves you time with clean up, but also provides you with budget-friendly ways to enhance the look of your landscaping and make your yard look manicured.

Why Grass Cuttings Should Be Removed

One of the primary reasons why people recommend leaving grass clippings on your lawn is to redistribute nitrogen and other nutrients. Unfortunately, grass clippings tend to blow away before the nutrients soak into the soil. The clumps of cut grass are also not evenly distributed, so only some of the growing grass gets the benefits of additional nutrients. Grass clippings also give your lawn an unfinished and rough appearance. What you need is a way to get the nutrients from the clippings while keeping your lawn looking neat and tidy.

Grass Cuttings are Great for Compost and Mulch

Mulching your lawn is more effective than relying on grass clippings that are clumped and unevenly distributed. If you want the benefits of the nutrients in the clippings, you can add them to compost for later use or mulch your yard. You can also mulch other areas, such as a vegetable garden or flower bed. You can only do this when you have a grass catcher.

How to Use Grass Clippings for Mulch

Once your grass catcher is full of clippings, here’s what you can do to use the clippings as mulch:

1. Empty the bag of the grass catcher is an area that is exposed to sunlight but has little wind
2. Allow the clippings to dry
3. Spread about one to two inches of the clippings across your yard and in planting beds
4. Water your lawn as normal

This technique distributes the clippings evenly across your yard, making them less visible. Sunlight and water break down the clippings to slowly release the nutrients into the soil.

How to Make Mulch From Leaves

In the Fall when it’s time to clean up leaves from your yard, you can use the grass catcher to save time. The shredded pieces of leaves can be added to your compost or used as an attractive mulch around your yard. When making the mulch, the leaves should be dry. If it has rained recently or if you watered your lawn before cleaning up the leaves, let the moisture evaporate before you spread the mulch around your yard.